Nowhere in the field of Islamic jurisprudence is a blatant tampering with the truth felt more than in the redefinition of "Sunna" and "bid'a".
The understanding of the pious Salaf such as Imam al-Shafi'i, 'alayhi ar-Rahman, for these terms is arrogantly cast aside. Their crystal-clear distinction: "Bid'a is of two kinds: praiseworthy innovation and blameworthy innovation" is being abandoned, while in their place, later, controversial figures are invoked as "more representative of the Salaf".

Newfangled theories worm their way into the discourse on right and wrong and -even worse- entire generations of Muslims have been weaned on these perversions of the truth and go into the world parroting the terms "Sunna" and "bid'a" without ever understanding them.

Choice victims for this campaign of disinformation in our time are English-speaking Muslims, especially new Muslims. They learn a few expressions then, coiffed with their new hat of condemnatory phrases, go out and blast away at other Muslims.
The purpose of this book is to do away once and for all with these perilous misconceptions and to present over 160 proofs for the Sunni understanding of Sunna and bid'a as it was -and continues to be- set forth in classical, moderate, mainstream Islam according to the Sunni Salaf and Khalaf including the Four Schools of Fiqh.